Storage

Enterprise applications have become much more versatile within the past decade, due to the rise of Internet-connected devices such as smartphones and tablets. As the amount of data that are generated every day is growing and devices are shifting away from high-capacity local storage to cloud storage, the requirements for enterprise storage are changing and cost considerations are becoming more critical.

Today, there are numerous classes of enterprise solid state drives (SSDs) for different applications, each with unique performance and endurance characteristics. One of the most critical differentiators is the underlying NAND technology, which has been developing rapidly in the past decade with new innovations such as MultiLevel Cell (MLC) and Vertical NAND (V-NAND) technologies.

Choosing the right SSD for the application is not necessarily an easy task given the complexity of the differences between various NAND technologies. This whitepaper explains the fundamental characteristics of two-bit-per-cell (MLC) and threebit-per-cell (3-bit MLC or TLC) NAND technologies, as well as the inherent scaling limitations of planar NAND and how vertical NAND (V-NAND) technology solves these issues with our innovative vertical structure.

Understanding the basics of NAND is the key to understanding performance, endurance and cost differences between SSDs, which is essential for making an educated purchase for your specific enterprise application.